Commonly, in retail, dividers are provided at customer checkouts to separate individual customer's purchases. Typically, the dividers are placed on a conveyor belt, between the customer's purchases to indicate to the cashier where one order ends and the next begins.
For convenience, the dividers are often stored in a channel at the edge of the conveyor or over an edge of the conveyor adjacent the cashier so that when the cashier begins to ring in the next order the divider can be placed in the channel or over the edge and slid downwards towards the next customers in line. Conventional divider bars are typically square, solid, opaque bars and often are imprinted with permanent advertisement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,960 to Fraser teaches a track for use with checkout counter divider bars. The track is retrofit to existing conventional track or alternately may replace the conventional track. The track has an upright transparent slot or portion which contains advertisements visible to the customer. The track extends outwards over the conveyor to position the advertisement for viewing while allowing sufficient space behind for passage of the divider bar. The divider bar can then be slid behind the advertisement in a channel sized to carry the bar.
Use of transparent dividers, typically triangular in shape and having an open bottom, such as previously disclosed in Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/400,868, filed Mar. 28, 2003 and claiming priority of U.S. provisional application No. 60/367,762, filed Mar. 28, 2002, the entirety of each of which is incorporated herein by reference, necessitates a wider channel or surface upon which to store and slide the divider, while maintaining the divider in an upright orientation so that the advertising displayed on the divider is readable to the consumer. Space between the conveyor and the cash register, light standard or product racks is typically limited and therefore it is desirable to provide a surface that fits within the existing space particularly when attached as a retrofit to existing conveyors. Further, it is desirable that the surface extend only as far as necessary over the conveyor surface to maximize conveyor space and prevent dislodging the dividers from the surface due to contact with the products on the conveyor.
Clearly there is a need for a rail to support dividers having an open bottom, a wide base and carrying advertising indicia in an upright orientation without falling over for viewing the advertisements stored therein, wherein the rail fits within existing, often limited space available between the conveyor and the cash register, light standard or product racks and the like. Particularly, the rail should not obscure the advertisements carried in the divider and should not extend so far over the conveyor space that the dividers are readily dislodged by products on the conveyor. Further, the rail should provide stability for dividers to permit sliding therealong without derailing.